Cash in one's attic... stately home auction expected to net £2.5m

DREAMS of finding forgotten wealth and priceless antiques among the dust and detritus left up in the loft have spawned a rash of get-rich-quick daytime television programmes.

But while most people's hopes of finding cash in the attic come to nothing, the Duke of Devonshire stands to make an estimated 2.5m later this year in an unprecedented sell-off.

Billed as a "once in a lifetime attic sale" the auction will include rare possessions and furniture which have belonged to the Devonshire family dating from the 16th century onwards.

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All of the pieces to be sold were discovered in the attics of Chatsworth House, having been transferred there from other properties which once made up the vast Devonshire estate.

Items on sale include furniture, fixtures and possessions which were rescued from Devonshire House, a family residence on London's Piccadilly which was demolished in the 1920s.

Other items have come from Bolton Abbey in North Yorkshire, Compton Place near Eastbourne, Hardwick Hall near Chesterfield, Lismore Castle in Ireland and Chiswick House, London.

The 12th Duke, Peregrine Cavendish, said proceeds from selling some 20,000 objects would be used on improvement projects at Chatsworth and other properties still owned by the family.

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Around 1,400 lots will go under the hammer at the auction in October, with estimated values ranging from just 20 to 250,000, and top auctioneers Sotheby's expect huge interest.

The Duke said yesterday: "It's been fascinating to sort through the attics, revisiting my family's history and seeing long hidden treasures from Devonshire House and elsewhere.

"When we moved in to Chatsworth several years ago we realised that we were very short of space, so the auction will mean we can reorganise to improve the displays and storage.

"There are some very impressive objects and the good news is that their sale means many of them will go back on display for the first time in decades.

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"Everybody here works very hard to make Chatsworth more enjoyable and interesting and that has paid off with visitor numbers rising for the past few years, more than 10 per cent this year alone."

Items which belonged to Georgiana, the fifth Duchess, recently the subject of a film starring Keira Knightley, will be sold, including furniture she chose herself for her personal rooms.

A range of possessions of the current Dowager Duchess, Deborah Cavendish, have also been selected for sale, including a walnut-veneered record player and radio, jewellery, tapestry and ceramics.

Harry Dalmeny, deputy chairman, of Sotheby's, said: "Exploring the attics at Chatsworth took us on a remarkable journey. Like a jigsaw puzzle, the histories of many of the Devonshire family's homes have been assembled once again. The revelation of the hidden trove of architectural fixtures designed by William Kent – one of Britain's greatest architects and designers – for Devonshire House in London is an architectural historian's dream.

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"The sale of this material will provide a unique opportunity to acquire examples of the work of one of England's greatest architects – one that is unlikely ever to be repeated as Kent's work is otherwise confined to major listed buildings."

Sale items will be on view to the public at Chatsworth between October 1 and 4 before the auction takes place on October 5, 6 and 7. Entry to the pre-sale exhibition will be by catalogue, which will be on sale at Chatsworth and Sotheby's from September onwards.

Spencer sale raised 21m

News of the Duke of Devonshire's "attic sale" comes just a few days after Earl Spencer, the brother of Princess Diana, made around 21m by selling almost 800 items from his Northamptonshire estate.

Included in the sale of treasures from the Althorp estate were a series of Old Master paintings, including a 9m work by Rubens called A Commander Being Armed for Battle.

It took auctioneers Chrisitie's three days to work through the catalogue of items, with most pieces fetching more than their estimate. Proceeds will be used for maintenance on the estate.